1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and system for configuring devices over a network with settings and, in particular, copying the settings from one network device, such as a network printer, to a plurality of network devices, such as printers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Network printing systems generally comprise an assemblage of different printers, client computers, servers, and other components connected over a network. A print job is assembled at a client computer and transmitted over the network to a server linked to a variety of printers. The printers may have different printing capabilities. Thus, for a given submitted print job, some printers in the network may not be able to process the print job.
In managing a network printing system, a network administrator may need to alter the configuration and settings of printers throughout the network. Current products allow a network administrator to configure multiple printers. However, when configuring multiple printers, the network administrator must use a set of options or configurations that is common to all printers being configured. Thus, the network administrator is limited to applying a set of attributes and features offered at the printer with the least capabilities and range of possible settings. Moreover, other systems only allow a network administrator to configure printers that are from the same manufacturer or of the same model.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved method and system for configuring groups of printers and other devices in a network printing system.
To overcome the limitations in the prior art described above, preferred embodiments disclose a system and method for configuring a plurality of devices linked to a network with a computer also linked to the network. A computer determines from the devices a source device. The computer then determines a set of features from features implemented in the source device. At least one value is set for each feature in the source device. The computer also determines at least one target device. For each target device, the computer then determines features from the determined set of features that the target device is capable of implementing. The computer then transmits to each target device via the network the values for the determined features the target device is capable of implementing. If there are multiple target devices, then different sets of values from the determined set of features may be transmitted to different target devices when the target devices have different capabilities with respect to the determined set of features. The target devices are configured with the values transmitted over the network.
In further embodiments, the source device may be a file including values for features and the target devices may include one file in which feature values are stored.
In yet further embodiments, the target and source devices may be printers. In such case the features to copy from the source to target printers may include network interface properties, a print mode indicating either simplex or duplex printing, a setting to lock a console of the target printer, an authentication protocol setting, etc.
In still further embodiments, graphical dialog boxes may be displayed on a computer monitor attached to the computer. A network administrator or other user may use an input device connected to the computer to select a source printer, target printer, and values for features from the source printer to apply from the displayed dialog boxes.
Preferred embodiments provide an improved method and system for allowing a user, such as a network administrator, to copy the values for selected features from one device or file to multiple devices, such as printers, over a network. With preferred embodiments, the maximum number of values from selected features are applied, limited only by the capabilities of the target printers. If a target printer does not support a particular feature, than the values for that unsupported feature will not be transmitted to the target printer over the network. Thus, the maximum set of values from a user selected group of features are applied to each target device.